They continued on this way through three more client meetings. In the last, with a bolt of unexpected confidence, Eliana spoke up mid-argument with her unsolicited thoughts, which, to her wonderment, were met with true consideration from the clients and a nod of proud approval from Milo.
She knew she wasn’t offering any sound business advice, but as a mother of pre-teen twins, she was well-versed in seeing both sides of an argument and in finding a resolution that fell somewhere in the middle of the options presented.
Eliana couldn’t have said what she’d expected the meetings to look like, but they struck her as very similar to how she imagined therapy would go. It was like Milo was some twisted form of corporate-level psychiatrist. It was especially interesting watching him in the third meeting, as it was his first time working with that particular company. The way he set them at ease with his affable manner and got them talking with his targeted questions. But above all else, it was the simple, understated way he approached the issue that fascinated Eliana. How he sat back and let them talk—simply listening and asking probing questions whenever they hit a nerve.
By the time the meeting ended, she had a notebook full of problems, ideas, and follow-ups written out, along with a determination to see the resolution through to the end. It was like the best kind of puzzle. She could picture the end goal, the beautiful potential, and with her notebook in hand, she could also see the pile of problems—puzzle pieces waiting to be sorted. She imagined the next step would be to dive into those pieces, figuring out which ones were foundational—making up the frame of their client’s purpose—andthen working through what remained, and figuring out how to best fit them into the final image.
Instead of the exhaustion she’d expected to feel, Eliana was downright giddy when they got back to the car. Milo laughed at her expression as he pulled out onto the highway, heading back into town.
“You had a good time, I take it?”
“Absolutely.” Eliana nodded enthusiastically.
His answering smile was wide. “I’m glad. You were a natural.”
“Everythingfeltnatural, and I owe that to my girls. Who knew that managing a home with tweens created such applicable experience?”
Milo laughed. “More people than you’d expect, but still less than should be expected.”
Eliana laughed with him. “Regardless, I truly appreciate your kindness today, helping me acclimate. I didn’t realize how much I’d enjoy it; honestly, I didn’t know what to expect at all. Setting aside the correlations we’ve drawn between business and parenting—I’m wildly inexperienced. But somehow, that didn’t seem to matter much today.”
Milo shrugged. “Loads of business roles are incredibly niche, and the people who fill them often have remarkably unique backgrounds. Many simply work themselves up from simple admin jobs. It’s all just about finding the spot that fits you best. Almost everybody has some form of imposter syndrome. You just have to remember that there’s always fresh information. Always something you don’t know. Those who embrace the imposter syndrome, who ask the questions, who are constantly on the hunt for more knowledge, even when they’vemade it—those are the ones who succeed in thelong-term.”
“That makes sense,” Eliana nodded, appreciating the simple logic and its easy application. “See, I’m learning.”
Milo smiled with her, but then his eyes landed on the dashboard and his expression fell into a frown. “Hey, this is probably wildly inappropriate, but would you mind if we made a short, personal pit stop?” He asked. “I’d meant to drop you off at home first, but that last meeting ran over, and visiting hours are nearly over.”
“Visiting hours?” Eliana inquired, a moment before a light bulb flared in her mind’s eye. “For your grandma?”
Milo’s eyes were surprised when they met hers for a moment, as if he couldn’t believe she remembered. “Yes, my grandma. You don’t have to go in or anything, but I try to stop by as much as I can, and they close early on Tuesdays.”
“My going in is completely up to you. But I would never mind stopping for that. I think it’s admirable.”
“You would actually want to meet her?” Milo asked. “She can’t respond much. She mostly just listens and sleeps. I’m not sure how much she really registers.”
“I’d love to meet her, and I wouldn’t mind if she didn’t respond.”
“For real?” His voice was so shocked that she turned in her seat to look at him better.
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
“Sorry, it’s just . . . Bea was never very interested. She said there was no point visiting with a veg—” His words cut off as he glanced away, seeming unable to finish. Anger coiled within as she watched the muscle in his jaw flex. He released a sharp sigh. “It doesn’t matter. She just wasn’t interested.”
A wave of hurt on Milo’s behalf roared to life in Eliana’s chest, surprising her with its intensity. But this wasn’therhurt. She pushed the anger back down until it was a muted glow rather than an inferno—until she felt it was safe to speak. “I’m very sorry that she spoke to you like that, Milo. You’re welcome to squeeze in as many visitsas you can manage during our work days, and I will always be honored if you’d like me to join you. I hope you know that I would never think such a cruel thing, much lesssayit,” she spat, unable to fully disguise the disgust in her heart.
“Understood.” Milo’s smile was quick, a gentle look of something new and warm brightening his eyes as he repeated back her words. “I’m learning too, Bugs.”
16
OPPORTUNITY
Why did Mitch stay with someone this vile?
Hardcore shipping Mitch and Bugs
When does the takedown begin??
The bell above the door chimed and Eliana turned in her seat, biting her lip as she waved Clem into the diner. A smile stretched wide on Clem’s face as she weaved her way through the haphazardly organized tables, ducking to dodge a bustling waitress with a massive dish-laden tray on her shoulder.
